MR
by cherryvixen416
Summary: Sequel to Darkest Days. Written to combat writer's block.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: "Nightmare Rain"

Justin woke up, blinking in the dim light. It had been exactly one month since Jenner's defeat. He slowly sat up, the blanket falling to his waist. Looking around, he saw that rain pattered loudly on the windowpanes, the sky a dark, dismal grey. He heard a light yawn next to him, and looked down. Elizabeth had just woken up, and was gazing happily at him.

"It's not morning yet," she said quietly.

"I know," he replied, sliding back down to her. "The rain just woke me up."

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his firm shoulders. "You should try to get back to sleep," she told him. "Missing it's not good for you."

Justin found himself smiling back as he embraced her, pulling her close. "I know, but how can I sleep when I have such an angel beside me?"

Elizabeth gave him a look. "Flatterer." She scolded playfully.

"Hey, it's what I do," he chuckled, pulling her into a deep kiss. It ended as the door creaked open. There in the crack stood a young mouse, with frightened tears welling in her eyes.

Justin sat up again, and then slid from the bed. He went over to the child, and then knelt down in front of her, taking her into his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, clutching the collar of his shirt with both hands. Justin held her tightly, feeling her tremble.

"Daddy, I'm scared," she said finally, her voice muffled by the cloth.

He smiled, getting to his feet and stroking her hair. "It's alright, Cynthia," he said soothingly, taking her back to the bed. "It's just rain, it can't hurt you."

Cynthia lifted her head, her brown eyes still wet with tears. "That's not what I'm afraid of," she sniffled. "I had a bad dream."

"About what?" Elizabeth asked, coming to Justin's side as he sat down.

"About…Jenner." Her daughter's eyes filled with anger at saying the hated name. "I dreamed he came back, and did some really scary things."

"What did he do, sweetheart?" Justin asked, stroking her head once more.

"I can't remember. I woke up as soon as I saw his face." Cynthia began crying again, burying her face in Justin's chest as she curled up into a ball in his arms.

"Oh, dear," said Elizabeth, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Justin, that's the tenth time this month she's dreamt about him. Sarah sometimes tells me that Cynthia wakes up during naptime, crying and screaming."

"This is turning into a problem, isn't it?" he asked, concerned. "I'll take her to Ash tomorrow, maybe he can straighten this out." He hugged his daughter closer to him as her shaking worsened. "Maybe he can give her something to get rid of those dreams."

"I sure hope so," Elizabeth said with tears in her voice. "I just hate to see our child suffering like this."

Justin leaned over, and kissed her tenderly. "Try to get some sleep, Lizzy; we'll take care of it in the morning."

Elizabeth nodded, and then slowly lay back down. After a few minutes, she rolled onto her side, fast asleep. Justin stayed up a few minutes longer, gently rocking the child back and forth, until her breathing was deep and even again. Smiling slightly, he slid back down and closed his eyes, sleeping an uneasy sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One: "Morning Surprises"

It was still raining when Justin woke up the next morning, although not as heavily. He gazed down, finding that Cynthia was still wrapped in his arms. He smiled, and then kissed her forehead. She moaned quietly, but didn't wake up. He looked to Elizabeth, only to find that she wasn't there. Seeing the time, he realized that it was after eight.

_She must have taken the older kids to school, _he thought. He looked down at his youngest, who was hopefully having sweet dreams. Why would she be dreaming of Jenner so often? Could it have had something to do with what had happened? But none of the other children were having the dreams, as far as he knew. It was all one big puzzle, and one he couldn't solve on his own.

Cynthia began to stir in his arms, her hair brushing against the fur of his neck. She opened her large brown eyes, looking dazedly up at her father. She tried to smile, but it quickly disappeared.

"Have another bad dream?" he asked, brushing a tear from her cheek.

She nodded, blinking away more tears. "Only it wasn't about Jenner this time."

"It wasn't?" he asked, a bit surprised.

She shook her head, "No."

"What was it about?"

"Well, I dreamed that you and mommy had a baby, and that you forgot about me and the others."

Justin chuckled slightly, pulling her close. "That's impossible, Cynthia." He said. "We would never forget about you."

"Are you and momma going to have a baby?" she asked suddenly.

Justin chuckled again, a bit nervously this time. "Well, I'm afraid that that would be impossible,"

"Why?"

He hesitated, wondering how to explain this. "Because, well, um…"

Thankfully, Elizabeth came back just then.

"I'll tell you later, when you're older," he said, placing her on the floor. He got up, walking quickly over to Elizabeth and whispering something in her ear.

"That's exactly what mom said," Cynthia said quietly. She sighed, then walked toward the door, her tail hanging low.

After she left, Elizabeth turned back to Justin. "She really asked you that?"

Justin nodded. "Yes."

"You didn't tell her, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

Elizabeth sighed, shaking her head. "She's too young to be worrying about such things. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with her."

Justin chuckled slightly, taking her into his arms and stroking her hair. It was silent for a long time after that. Elizabeth laid her head on his chest, feeling the smooth rhythm of his heart in her ears, being lulled by the quiet sound of his breath. She looked up a few minutes later, a slightly pained expression on her face.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing," she said softly. "I'm just feeling a bit dizzy, that's all."

It seemed to be more than that, but Justin was not one to probe. If Elizabeth said she was fine, then he had no choice but to believe her, until he could visibly tell that something was not right. She laid her head on his chest again, her eyes falling shut as she gave a quiet sigh. After what seemed an eternity, Justin placed his hand on the side of her face, running his fingers through the silky smooth fur of her cheek. She looked up and gave him a small smile, but he noticed that the expression did not reach her eyes.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again.

She laughed slightly. "Yes, I told you, I'm fine." She paused, then, "Come on, we best start getting ready. Don't want to keep them waiting too long."

He smiled, but something inside was still telling him that something just wasn't right.

The infirmary was almost empty when they arrived, with Cynthia holding tightly to Justin's hand. She soon spotted a dark form near the windows on the east wall. The rat was solid black, wearing clothes that blended almost perfectly with his dark coat. She knew only one person who looked like that, and joyfully called out his name.

"Orion!"

Orion turned, and grinned widely upon seeing her.

"Cynthia!" he knelt down and swept her into his arms as she tried to control her laughter. Her parents laughed as they walked over, seeing how happy she was. Maybe this was all the young mouse really needed to get rid of her terrifying dreams.

"Hey, Justin. Elizabeth," he greeted them, still holding the giggling Cynthia.

"Hey, Orion," Justin chuckled.

"We didn't expect to see you here," said Elizabeth.

"It's Sarah." The young rat said, no longer smiling. "She's been feeling kind of sick the past month. We're trying to figure out why."

"Oh, I hope she's okay," Elizabeth replied, slightly worried.

"I'm sure she's fine," he assured her. "She's probably just got that bug that's been going around."

"I'm afraid I might have a case of it too. I've been feeling a little dizzy lately."

"That's not why you're here though, is it?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, no, no," she laughed nervously. "We're here for Cynthia. I'm sure Sarah's been telling you about her dreams."

"That's right!" he exclaimed. "I remember her telling me about it last night. Do you know what's causing them?"

"No," Justin put in. "That's why we're here. We were hoping that Ash or Alexander could figure it out."

"Speaking of which, here they come now."

Justin and Elizabeth turned, and saw that he spoke the truth. Alexander and Ash looked almost exactly the same, aside from a little height difference, and Ash's dark ponytail. Both were thin and wiry, with sleek grey fur and dazzling blue eyes. Their clothes were crisp and white with little color other than a red cross on their sleeves. Both wore glasses made of thin black wire. Sarah strode between them, her face glowing.

"Well, I take it was good news?" Orion asked.

"The best," Sarah replied dreamily. She stepped closer, and whispered in his ear, "I'm pregnant."

Orion's face exploded into a wide grin, his eyes glittering. He grabbed her waist, twirling her high in the air as he exclaimed, "I'm going to be a father!"  
>The others in the room smiled happily, Cynthia jumping up and down and clapping her hands in excitement. This was the news that Sarah and Orion had been waiting for, and they couldn't have been happier. After they left, Ash turned to Justin.<p>

"Well, what can we do for you?" he asked.

"It's me," Cynthia spoke up. Ash knelt down, so they could speak face to face.

"Really?"

She nodded. "I've been having really scary dreams for a long time, and almost all of them have been…" she trailed off, burying her face in Justin's cape.

"All of them have been about what?" Ash wondered as he got to his feet.

"About…Jenner," the child said, her voice slightly muffled by the cloth. "And what he did."

Alex's eyes widened. "Oh no," he whispered. "Not again."

"What?" asked Elizabeth. "This has happened before?"

Alex nodded. "A few times, I'm afraid."

"In the past, or just recently?" Justin inquired.

"Quite recently, I have to admit."

Justin was silent, but the look on his face said it all. He wanted to know what was going on, and wasn't going to settle for excuses.

Alex gulped slightly, clearing his throat before he spoke. "This has been happening all over the colony," he began. "But it seems to only affect younger children."

"Do you have any idea why?"

Ash shook his head. "I'm afraid we don't." he said. "All we can gather is that what Jenner did last month seems to have left a few mental scars, as well as physical ones."

"And there's nothing you can do?"

Ash hesitated, terrified by Justin's harsh gaze. His leader seemed to notice this, for his softened his expression. "At the moment, no. All we can say is that these children have been through something huge at a really young age. My guess is that the dreams will fade eventually, and that we as parents should do all that we can to make sure nothing becomes permanent."

"How long do you think it should take for these dreams to fade?"

"Anywhere from a few days to a few months. It depends on the child." The doctor shrugged.

"I'm not going to be traumatized for life, am I?" Cynthia asked, lifting her head.

The adults were stunned. "Where did you hear a word like that?" Alex questioned.

"I heard it from Timmy. It's not bad, is it?"

"No, no," he smiled. "It's just a bit of a long word for a little kid."

"Timmy uses words like that all the time, unless he's helping me."

"I take it that you'll be in good hands when it's time for school then, huh?"

Cynthia nodded, grinning. "Yep!" she paused, then looked up at Justin. "Daddy, I'm late for daycare, and they're having story time!" she grabbed his hand, pulling him from the room.

The others just laughed, the sounds echoing off the empty walls of the waiting room. It was silent for a few minutes as they caught their breath.

"So, is there anything we can do for you, Elizabeth?" Ash asked her.

"Well, I have been feeling a bit dizzy lately, but I think it might just be that bug that's been going around."

"You can never be sure."

"No, I suppose you can't, but what else could it be?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised." He said as he led her away. What they would find out was something never heard of for the rats of NIMH.

"What do you mean he said that they would just go away?" Timothy asked. It was later that day, around noon, and Cynthia was talking with her brother during lunch hour.

"I mean exactly what I'm saying, Timmy," she said, exasperated. Tim may have been wicked smart, but he acted so dumb sometimes. They had gotten their trays filled, and had sat down at a secluded table. Others must have sensed the tension, for they all stayed at least ten feet away. Cynthia just sat there, spinning her fork in her pasta, looking down at the flower mosaic the art class had created on the table. She wasn't even supposed to be here.

"You know you should be back at the daycare, Cynthia," Tim was saying. "Both of us could get into a lot of trouble if they find you here."

"Tim, I've done this before, remember? Lots of times, and I've never been caught."

"I know that, but there's a first time for everything, isn't there?"

Cynthia sighed. "You can be so pessimistic sometimes."

Tim gave her an odd look. "I gotta quit doing my homework around you," he smiled, shaking his head. "Or else you'll be talking like a professor."

"What's a pro-fessor?"

"Just another name for a teacher," a third voice said. It was deeper than Timothy's, but still high enough that he knew it came from a kid.

"Hey, Martin." He said without turning. "What's up?"

"Nothing really. Mind if I sit here?"

"Sure, go ahead. We're just having a bit of sibling problem."

"About what?" Martin asked, taking a seat. He turned, and found Cynthia sitting next to him. "Aren't you a little young to be here?" he asked her.

"Maybe…" she smiled innocently.

Martin shook his head, grinning. "Cynthia, one of these days you're going to get caught, and then we'd all be dead."

"I've done this hundreds of times, and I doubt I'd be caught now. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"You could get suspended." A fourth voice added. It sounded like a teacher, and they froze in fear. Were Cynthia's words about to be put to the test? All of a sudden, they heard laughter, and a very familiar chuckle at that.

"Teresa!" Martin exclaimed. He gave an agitated sigh as his older sister continued giggling.

"What are you trying to do?" Tim asked. "Give us all heart attacks?"

"Can't a girl have a little fun?" Teresa questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Not if she kills her family in the process!" Cynthia shouted.

Teresa stared at her, as if she hadn't known her youngest sibling was there. "Don't you know what will happen if you get caught here?" she asked.

"Will everyone just stop worrying about that?" Cynthia growled. "I'll be fine. I've done stuff like this before, and no one has noticed!"

Her siblings noted that she was whispering, and looked around. The school's cafeteria was nearly empty, with just a few custodians left to clean up.

"Oh, crap." Tim murmured. "How are we gonna get out of here without being seen?"

"That's an easy one," Cynthia whispered. "Follow me." She tiptoed along the wall, staying completely hidden from the large windows. Her siblings stared at each other, shrugged, then followed. They scurried along the dark wall, actually thankful that the school made them wear uniforms. The brown cloth made them less obvious. In a few minutes, they had reached the doors, and just had to wait until the custodians turned their backs. One wall was all of glass, so it took all of them to clean off the millions of handprints that somehow appeared there during the day. Cynthia checked the hall while Timothy looked behind them. Only two adults were still wiping down tables, but from the looks of it, they were nearly finished. They turned their backs just as Cynthia darted into the empty hall. Martin went next, then Teresa, and finally Timothy, the door falling silently shut behind them.

Back in the cafeteria, one of the custodians suddenly turned, facing the door. His eyes grew red, face taking on an expression of evil triumph. A NIMH drone. Sent on a search and find mission.

Cynthia paused in the hall, waiting in a small cubby for her brothers and sister to catch up. The school was empty, the students all outside, but they had to get Cynthia back to daycare. They had decided that it would attract less attention if they all went as a group. Everyone knew that the Brisby children liked to stick together whenever it was possible. And if they were found, all that had to be said was that Cynthia had wandered off during playtime, and that they were just bringing her back. They had almost made it when they heard voices; two, very familiar, and very, very close.

"Uh oh," Cynthia whispered. "Not good."

"What?" Martin glanced around a bend in the hall, and his eyes widened. Standing in front of the door, were Justin and Elizabeth; talking with Sarah.

"Man," he turned back to Tim and Teresa. "Its mom and dad, and they're standing right in our path."

Teresa gasped, raising a hand to her mouth, this meant trouble.

"Double crap," Tim murmured, slapping his forehead. How were they going to get out of this one? Justin looked in their direction, making direct eye contact with them, his face growing stern.

"Uh oh," Teresa whispered. There was nowhere to hide now, nowhere to run. They were trapped. One by one, they walked slowly into the hall.

"Is there a reason you three are here?" Justin asked, staring down at them.

The older children glanced around, their eyes drifting from ceiling to floor and back again. They noticed Sarah and Elizabeth still talking behind him, laughing and giggling like schoolgirls. Elizabeth stood on her toes and whispered something into Sarah's ear. A wide grin broke out on her face, and the two friends hugged. Tim wondered what their mother had said.

"It's my fault," said Cynthia. She had been the only one able to hold Justin's gaze.

"What?" Justin asked.

"I sneaked out of daycare during playtime so that I could talk with Tim about what Ash and Alex said this morning. Martin and Teresa came by, and they were just trying to get me back here."

"How long has this been going on?"

"For weeks."

"And have you ever been caught?"

"No, never. This is the first time." She paused then, "So, how much trouble am I in?"

Justin put on a thoughtful expression, acting as if the question meant something. This had been going on for weeks? And they hadn't even noticed? He'd never known that she could be so crafty, but what to do about it. Now that was difficult to decide. He reached down and took her hand, bringing her away from her siblings as they explained to their mother and Sarah what was going on. When they were far enough away, Justin knelt down before his daughter, but she spoke up before he could.

"So how much trouble am I in?"

"You're not in trouble," he started.

"Say what?"

"One, because you were honest, but what you did wasn't wrong."

"It wasn't?"

"No. The younger children have been doing it so often lately that we've decided to just let them."

"So, what you're saying is, I can go to the big kid cafeteria, and not get in trouble?"

"Exactly. Just remember to ask first."

Cynthia blushed, then smiled as she wrapped her small arms around his neck. "Thanks, dad," she said.

"It was no problem at all," Justin replied, embracing her in return. He stood up as she scampered back to her siblings, telling them the good news.

Tim smiled, patting her back, Martin tousled her hair, and Teresa smiled. If there was one thing that all four of them shared, it was the instinct to stick together. And none seemed to disagree with it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two: "Angels and Demons"

The moon shone brightly later that night, with stars glittering like diamond boats in an onyx sea. Justin had just gotten home when he heard a pencil scratching on paper, along with a light humming. He walked silently to the bedroom, where he knew a beautiful sight awaited him. The children were asleep, each curled up like an infant in their bed, off in a land of dreams. He pushed the door open, thinking for a moment that an angel had floated down from heaven; he already felt it flowing through him.

Their room was large, and had a giant square window with a seat that was one of Elizabeth's favorite spots. She was there now, resting curled up on the soft cushions with a pad on her lap, a pencil in her hand. The window gave them the most beautiful view in the valley, the waterfall that fed the stream, the evergreen forest; the crescent moon lake that rested nearby, it was all so lovely in moonlight. She was working by candle light, a single golden flame illuminating the paper, and setting her aglow.

Her fur cast a soft light, and her eyes sparkled like gemstones; her hands moved slowly, capturing the view in painstaking detail, sketching in even the smallest grain of sand. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"That's bad for your eyes, you know," he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

"You know I always work best by candlelight," she replied softly. She continued to draw as he sat down behind her, making a halfhearted attempt to see the image. Justin reached up and began rubbing her shoulders, the silken sleeves of her robe giving way to his hands.

"You're beautiful in moonlight," he kissed her cheek, smiling slyly.

A grin began to spread across Elizabeth's face. She set her pad aside without any desire to take it back up, then stood and walked to the bed. The wine red silk slipped down past her shoulders, and she turned toward him.

"You coming?" she asked seductively.

Justin got to his feet, following her promptly. He knew exactly where this was going. She climbed up onto the bed, giving him a look that could melt steel. He pulled off his cape, letting it fall to the floor as he undid his belt, slipping under the covers. Elizabeth nearly ripped off his vest, letting the fabric crumble and slide to the floor. Justin's hands went to her waist, undoing the sash of her robe and letting it slip to her arms. She quickly undid the buttons of his shirt, pushing the fabric from his firm shoulders. Their bodies met, and they kissed.

It started slow, Justin still being careful when he guided himself into her, no matter how quickly they progressed nearer the end. Elizabeth didn't mind, she enjoyed teasing him as he took his time, though he seemed a bit bolder with each passing occasion. The warmth also became more inviting each time, and they could feel their love for each other growing deeper each night. What they didn't know, was that they were being watched.

A black NIMH drone sat outside, completely hidden by the shadows, staring through their room's smaller window beside the bed. It could see and hear everything that went on; every sound uttered, every move made. It quickly sent this data back to its superior, someone the rats had believed to be gone for good. The drone slipped away undetected as they finished, taking a few shots to show its master back at HQ, its sinister grin a silver beacon in the night light.

Justin and Elizabeth lay panting, drenched in their sweat and juices, gazed happily at each other.

"I love you," Elizabeth said softly, running her claws along the strong muscles of his arms. "You're my brave warrior."

He smiled, embracing and kissing her. "I love you too, my precious angel."

They soon fell asleep, wrapped in warmth, but completely unknowing of the force that again threatened their lives; and, Elizabeth had completely forgotten what she had wanted to tell him.

Cynthia lay awake in bed, thinking deeply about what she had seen. Others believed her to be scatterbrained and babyish, but in reality she highly intelligent, she just chose to hide it.

_What could be going on? _She wondered, tossing and turning. As she faced the window, a black shape played across her vision, and she instantly sat up. Getting out of bed, she pulled off her nightclothes to prevent them catching, and went quickly to the small shape of glass. Staying hidden by the dense shadows of her room, she watched as the drone silently took flight, speeding back toward the city, and in the direction of…

_NIMH! _She realized with a gasp. This was terrifying news, what could she do? There was no way she would be able to prevent this on her own, but who could she tell that would believe her? Not her parents, or her siblings, they all would just say she had dreamt the whole thing; she quickly recognized that that's what everybody's reaction would be.

_There's only one way to make them see the truth. _She thought gravely. _And that's to be captured myself. _She gulped, having to admit that she was a little scared. Shaking it off though, she reached under her bed, and pulled out a backpack. She thought long and hard about what she would bring, knowing that she had only until tomorrow before NIMH arrived.

_If this is the only way to make them see, _she thought. _Then so be it!_

Her decision made, she quickly packed her things, taking every scrap of paper and pencil she owned, knowing that she had to record every bit of information she came to; if she failed to get even the smallest detail, she ran the risk of putting hundreds of lives in the worst danger that they had ever faced.

_Life is packed full of angels and demons, _she decided, then slipped back into bed; trying to get as much sleep as she could before the humans came.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three: "3 strikes…"

Golden sunlight streamed through the windows the next morning, erasing every sign that it had been pouring not so long ago. Cynthia woke up before anybody; there were still some things she needed to do to prepare for her mission. She first looked around, making sure she had every bit of paper and pencil she owned; there was none left. She contemplated sneaking into Justin's office and taking one of his smaller journals, but quickly forgot about the idea. No matter how important this was she would not be caught stealing to get what she needed. Unless it was from the humans, it was all right if she swiped things from them, as long as she didn't go too far.

"Okay, is that everything?" she asked herself.

"Everything for what?" a male voice asked. It was deep and casual, one she'd heard before.

"Dad!" she cried, and then slowly, speaking nervously, she turned around to face him. "N-n-n-nothing, daddy. I-I'm just p-packing for a trip t-to the woods." She turned all the way around, and saw her siblings standing in the doorway. In front was Timothy, looking triumphant.

"Oh, it's just you," she spoke scornfully, looking away. "What do you three want?"

Martin stepped forward. "We want in," he said.

"Humph. Well, you can just forget about it. I'm doing this myself."

He shrugged. "Fine, have it your way," he began walking back to the door. "I'll just tell mom and dad what you're up to."

"Go ahead; the humans will be here before they have a chance to do anything, anyway."

Martin rolled his eyes, turned back and folding his arms, glaring at his youngest sibling. She looked right back.

"Fine," he gave an annoyed sigh. "What do we have to do?"

"Well, for one thing, stop treating me like such a baby. I'm not that young."

"Cynthia, you're only five." Teresa spoke up.

"Not even that," Timothy put in.

"That's beside the point," Cynthia began.

"Then what is the point?" Martin asked.

"Will you stop interrupting?" she gave him a look that could have frozen the sun. He actually gulped, genuinely afraid of his "baby sister". "Thank you. Now, if you guys want to come, get prepared, and hurry."

"What do we need?" asked Teresa.

"To start with, backpacks, and all the paper and pencils you can find. Also, bring something to do to keep you sane. We might be there for a while."

"Be where?" Teresa asked.

Cynthia took a deep breath, "NIMH." Her voice was deadpan.

"I trust you bring me good news?" a dark voice asked.

"Yes, very good," the drone replied, coming to land. Its dark fur had turned silver, its eyes red and glowing. There was still more to the truth about NIMH, and it was worse than anyone could have imagined. A black hand slipped from the shadows, the drone climbing up onto it. The human then brought his hand to eye level.

"Have you found them?"

"Yes, sir, and there's more then we thought."

"How many?"

"They've multiplied greatly. Their numbers have increased from a mere twenty to almost four hundred."

"Is that all?" the human asked curiously.

"No, sir, there's more."

"More?"

"Yes, there are also some mice."

"Mice?"

"Yes, but very few, only five."

"What makes them important?"

"Four are mere children, but they have only half the genes we injected into the Beta Group."

"How is that possible?"

"Their mother is a normal mouse. She is the fifth one."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well, there is one thing…" the drone trailed off, as if embarrassed about what he was saying. "She seems to have mated with the rats' leader, number nine."

"Very unexpected, but I believe I can make it work to our advantage."

"How?"

The human shook their head, thin white hair becoming briefly visible in the moonlight. He held up a tiny chip, and then deactivated his tiny robot slave. A minute panel opened up on the back of its head, and the chip was inserted into a small slot. In a few seconds, the panel closed, and the drone opened his eyes. He sat up in his master's hand, shaking and rubbing his head.

"How many times have I asked you not to do that?" he asked. The glow in his eyes had faded, leaving two pools of liquid brown.

The human ignored the question. "I can't risk anyone overhearing." He hissed. "Now, you know what to do. Fly straight back to the valley; send out a homing signal the moment you arrive. The mobile units should be there within twenty-four hours. From there we will put the final stage of my experiment into action. Understood?"

The drone got to his feet, and saluted. "Yes, sir," he said.

"Good. Now go, and do not fail me."

Nodding, the drone quickly turned and flew off into the sky. The pastels of dawn were already creeping up onto the dark hills; they were running out of time.

The signal came moments later, from a secluded area about a mile from the rats' home. The mobile units responded immediately, coming quickly and silently over the mountains of Thorn Forest, bowling over any and everything in their path.

_Strike one…_

The lights had just come on when Cynthia opened her eyes the next morning, they didn't have much time. She slipped from bed, pulled on her clothes, and brought her backpack out of hiding. She had instructed the others to bring similar supplies; pens and paper, clothes, rope, food, and water, and one thing to remind them of home. The knock on the door didn't startle her, for she had said they'd start early.

She opened the door, outside were Timothy, Martin, and Teresa.

"Cool, everybody have what they need?" she asked. Her siblings replied with simple nods.

"Uh…just one question," began Martin. "How exactly are we gonna pull this off?"

"NIMH has been sending drones to watch us, and we have to find a way to stop them."

"Drones?" asked Teresa. "How do you know this?"

"I remember reading something in the library, how NIMH would sometimes dispel drones to stake out a target."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Okay, and where were we when you did all this stuff?" he asked.

"I have a secret life you know nothing about," Cynthia smirked. She then turned to her oldest siblings. "Guess I'm not as dumb as you thought, huh?"

Martin shook his head. "I guess not," he said with a wry smile.

"I always knew there was something different about you," Teresa began, but was cut off by a sudden knock on the door. Justin entered, and he was smiling.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing," Cynthia replied, taking on her old, babyish personality.

"Oh, well, come on, then," he said. "Or you'll be late for school."

"We'll be there in a second," Teresa told him. She still blushed a little whenever he was around.

"Alright, just don't take too long," with that, Justin shut the door and left.

"Shoot, I completely forgot we had school today," Cynthia said, slapping her forehead. "We'll have to do it tonight, or even earlier tomorrow morning."

"Won't they come after us," Martin brought up. "Like, right after we leave?"

"Not if we do this right," Cynthia told him.

"And how can we do that?" asked Timothy.

"Easy, we'll just hide the packs in the woods during break today, and then tell them that we're going for a walk. By the time they figure it out, we'll all be long gone; that is, as long as nobody chickens out."

"Any idea of how we actually get there?" questioned Teresa. She didn't like walking long distances.

"Oh, don't worry," Cynthia grinned. "I've got it all figured out."

Teresa shrugged, then opened the door and walked out of the room. Martin and Timothy soon followed, leaving Cynthia alone. As soon as she was sure they were gone, the young drone turned behind her. Her smile became a sharp-toothed grin of evil triumph, her eyes becoming red spheres of light. She pulled open a hidden curtain, and sitting behind it was the real Cynthia. Her arms and legs were tied behind her, and a white cloth was tied tightly around her mouth. Her brown eyes were wide and full of terror, and her breath was shallow and quick.

The drone reached out, yanking her hair when the child tried to look away, forcing Cynthia to meet its gaze.

"Thank you for making this so easy," it said, still grinning. Its voice had taken on a frightening, metallic quality. "These fools will believe anything!"

Cynthia tried to speak, but the gag was so tight that she could barely make a sound.

"I'm sure you won't have a problem keeping our little secret, now will you?" the drone said mockingly.

Cynthia's eyes filled with tears, but the NIMH spy didn't care. It reached into its shirt, and pulled out a knife. It held the shining blade up to Cynthia's throat, its grin souring into a smirk. "Because we both know what happens if you don't." it pushed the blade in, just enough to draw a drop of blood. "And just think of what will happen if Justin finds your blood on his hands. He'll never forgive himself."

"Cynthia, where are you?" Elizabeth called.

The drone withdrew the blade, tucking it back into their shirt. "Coming, mom!" it called, and then turned back to Cynthia. "Remember, not one word, or your entire family will perish!" the red faded from the robot's eyes, and it looked once again like Cynthia. Right before it left though, it grabbed Cynthia's doll from her bed, smirking wickedly. Then it vanished into the front room.

"There you are!" Elizabeth cried. "What were you doing in there, young lady?"

"Nothing, mommy," the drone replied. "I was just looking for my dolly."

Elizabeth gave an impatient sigh. "Well, come along then, we're already very late." And with that, they disappeared out the front door.

Tears poured down Cynthia's face, she just had to get out and warn them! She put every ounce of strength she had left to try and break her bonds, but her efforts were in vain; she had no energy left. Blackness began to form across her vision, and she slowly began to pass out.

Before she lost consciousness, one thing entered her mind. _I've got to find some way to warn them, I just have to! _Her hold on reality faded very quickly after that, as if the last of her will had been drained by the thought. She slumped against the wall, her head falling to her chest.

_Strike two…_

It turned out to be only a half-day that day, so by noon all the children were outside, enjoying the last bit of warmth before the clouds came. Well, that's what most of them were out there for. Timothy, Martin, and Teresa waited by the edge of the lake, within plain view of their parents, trying to figure out what was taking Cynthia so long.

"Do you think letting her go on her own was a good idea?" Tim wondered.

"I don't think so," Teresa told him. "You know how her mind wanders sometimes."

"You have to admit," Martin spoke up. "She's had a bit of a laser like focus lately."

"You're right," Tim said. "But," he paused, as if uneasy.

"What is it, little bro?"

Tim shook his head. "Nothing," he said.

"I know that look on your face," Teresa told him. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Do you know how much you can sound like mom sometimes?" Martin asked her, irritated.

She shrugged. "Well, I am the oldest," she said. "So basically I'm stuck with the job when mom's not around."

"That reminds me," Tim said. "Remember Auntie Shrew?"

He watched, confused, as his siblings shuddered. They had completely forgotten about the shrew in the month past, and they had been grateful for it. To tell the truth, Teresa had never liked the shrew either, but she was better than Martin when it came to the art of hiding feelings. Tim had never really known the shrew, but didn't think she was all bad. She grew quite concerned whenever she'd heard about his illnesses, though she had never really done anything to help.

"Tim…Tim!"

Timothy shook his head, looking dazed. "Huh…what?"

"I said are you ready to go?" Cynthia repeated. She had arrived a few minutes before, and had been trying to get her brother's attention.

"Oh, yeah, yeah." He told her, getting to his feet. "But how are we going to get away without anybody seeing us?"

"I've been thinking about that," said Martin. "Because there's no way mom and dad will let us go on our own."

"Don't worry," Cynthia said. "I've got it all under control. All we have to do is get the packs and start walking. They'll get the message and come after us."

"Yeah, and then what?" asked Teresa.

"We just tell them that we're going for a hike in the woods, and after we reach a certain clearing, we vanish through the tall grass, and-"

"Won't they follow us?" questioned Martin.

"Not if we tell them we're going to collect some berries for lunch. They'll let us go, and by the time they sense something's wrong, we'll be gone."

"How will we know we've reached the right clearing?" said Timothy.

"Oh, you'll know," Cynthia said, grinning mischievously. "Now, are you ready or not?"

"Sure, but," Tim began, but Cynthia wasn't listening.

"Great, let's go!"

She walked toward the tree where they'd hidden their packs the day before, and after a brief hesitation, her siblings followed. They had no idea what was really going on, and they thought that Cynthia was just going through a phase, and they stuck together; so there was no choice but to go with it. The drone gave a wide grin when it reached the grass, signaling the scientists that they were on their way, and that they had the perfect subjects to test out the new injections. The helicopter would be ready and waiting when they reached the clearing.

It reached down and picked up its pack, unknowingly dropping the one thing that would bring the plan's failure, and NIMH's final downfall. The grin faded from its face as the others neared, completely clueless when it came to the mission's true objectives. Just before they could begin walking though, a male voice resounded through the air.

"Oh, Cynthia!"

Cynthia cringed. It was Trevor. The young rat just loved to make trouble for the Brisby children, most likely because they were half feral. He bounded up, his shirt fluttering in the process, landing right before the astonished siblings. He gave a wild grin, showing he was up to no good. He was a year older than Teresa, and stood a full head taller.

His fur was grey, but there was a spot of black around his eyes, making him look like a bandit. His brown eyes were surprisingly soft, and always had a certain degree of mischief in them. His hair was dark and wild, falling over his shoulders. A guard in training, it surprised them how he could get away with all the tricks he pulled, but he always managed to evade punishment. He also had a quick mind, and his teachers always said that he used it for the wrong reasons.

"What do you want, Trevor?" Martin asked, stepping forward.

"I want to know what you're up to," the rat told him, folding his arms over his chest.

"It's none of your business," Cynthia snapped. "Beat it."

"Are you sure about that?" Trevor asked her, looking down. His gaze was piercing, but Cynthia's eyes were hard as steel.

"We're sure, now get lost."

Trevor looked at his claws, as if the command meant something. "Why should I listen?" he asked.

"Because, there could be dire consequences if you don't." Cynthia told him.

Trevor laughed, kneeling down to sneer in her face. "What could you possibly do to me?" he asked. "A little field mouse, less than half my size?"

Cynthia gave a quick downward glance, seeing the firm muscles in his arms, and his large hands.

Trevor leaned closer, his grin showing his teeth. "And a half feral mouse at that?"

That did it. Cynthia looked up, stunned, and then her face became a mask of fury. It was as if something inside of her just…snapped.

She reached up, grabbing the boy by the throat, nearly choking him.

"Listen, you little slime ball," she growled. "No one talks about me like that, no one."

"Uh-oh, I think she's upset," Trevor said sarcastically, but that only made Cynthia tighten her grip.

"I'm serious," she hissed. "If you know what's good for you, you'll get smart and back off, or else."

"Or else what?"

Cynthia smiled, but it was a hideous expression. "I was hoping you'd ask."

She then leapt into the air, dragging him with her. Once she was high enough, she flipped, slamming him into the tree. The gravity pressed against him, pushing him into the rough bark, and then he slipped to the ground. He struggled to get up, but Cynthia gripped his shirt as soon as he lifted his head. A blade slid from her wrist, and Trevor's eyes widened in fear. This wasn't the real Cynthia.

"It'll be worse next time," she growled. "But there won't be a next time now, will there?"

Trevor tried to talk, but his throat had closed up to the point where he could only shake his head. The blade slid back, vanishing into her arm.

"I'm glad we finally understand each other," she said, her voice mockingly sweet, but then it took on a menacing tone. "Now, for the last time, get lost!"

She released him, dropping him to the ground. Shakily, he rose to his feet, stared at her for a moment, and then turned and walked quickly away. He was limping, and felt blood dripping from the back of his neck. Half of him hoped that someone had seen what had happened, but the other hoped the opposite. Back at the tree, Cynthia put a hand to her head, and began to fall back. Martin caught her just before she hit the ground.

"Mm, what happened?" she moaned weakly.

"You mean you don't know?" he asked, bewildered. "You nearly killed Trevor Sommer!"

"I did?" Cynthia tried to stand, but could barely sit up. "How? What happened?"

"He said something, and you just snapped," Tim began, wide eyed. "You jumped in the air and flipped him into a tree."

"Is he alright?"

"I think so. He was limping a bit, and I could see a little blood in his hair, but that was about it."

"Did anyone else see?"

"I'm not sure; though I'm sure we might have some explaining to do later." Martin told her.

Cynthia struggled to her feet, then walked slowly back to her pack. She lifted it up, but fell to the ground with its weight. Whatever had happened, it had really worn her out. She tried again, but felt strong hands wrap around her. She looked up; expecting to see Trevor and his friends, but all she saw was Justin and her mother.

"What's going on here?" Justin asked his voice stern.

"Nothing," she said innocently. "Just going for a little walk."

"That's not what I saw. What's going on?"

"I don't know, Trevor said something, and then I just blacked out. I'm not sure what happened."

"What did he say?"

"He said something about us being half feral, and Tim says that I just snapped."

Justin and Elizabeth stared at her, and both seemed to fall into a daze.

"Mom," she whispered. "Dad?"

Justin shook his head, looking back down at the young mouse.

"You know you can always come to us when something like that happens," he said, his anger gone. "You don't need to take matters into your own hands."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Cynthia replied. "But I just couldn't help it, and,"

"I know, but just remember for next time, alright?" he said gently.

Cynthia smiled, "Alright," she said, then again tried to get to her feet.

Justin turned to the others. "Were you just going to leave without telling us?" he questioned.

"We were hoping you'd see us and follow," Teresa explained. "I guess we accomplished that," she ended by laughing nervously.

"Yes, you sure did," Elizabeth said. "But, where exactly were you planning on going?"

"Just for a little walk," Tim said.

Justin glanced at the small packs behind him, thinking something wasn't right. "And for that you need all this?"

"We were hoping it'd be an all day thing," Cynthia explained. "But I forgot that we had school today."

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to be out an hour or two after sunset, since there are no predators in this area."

"Then we can go?" Martin asked excitedly.

"Of course, after you apologize to Trevor for nearly killing him."

Cynthia gave a small groan. _I knew there'd be a catch, _she thought, but went to find him anyway.

_No matter, all this will soon be ruins anyway. _The thought put an evil grin on her face, but no one seemed to notice the difference.

_Strike three…_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four: "You're Out"

She came back a few minutes later, after just finding Trevor, and doing no more than shooting a hostile glance in his direction. He got the idea. Her family had just started to move, causing her to snatch up her bag and rush to catch up.

"Did you apologize?" Justin asked her.

"Yes, I did," she lied, smiling.

"Good girl," he ruffled her hair.

"Dad!" she cried, and glared back at her snickering siblings.

Justin gave a small chuckle, but stayed back to walk beside Elizabeth. He reached out and gripped her hand, stroking her soft fur. Her eyes met his, expressing things that didn't need to be said. Looking back at the children, he noticed that they seemed strangely quiet; like this was more than just a day trip.

"They seem a bit nervous, don't they?" she asked.

"Yes, they do," he agreed. "I wonder why?"

"I don't know, but…" she trailed off.

"What is it, Lizzy?" he asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know, but I just have a feeling that something's wrong."

"Hm, you know, I feel the same way," he admitted. "But nothing seems wrong, at least not yet."

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

He shrugged, but said nothing. It was silent between them until they came to Moonstone Clearing, where a large quartz crystal sat on the bank of a small river. The children had already set down their packs and were playing around in the water, splashing and laughing. Elizabeth went to the bank and stared down at her reflection, turning to the side to see if it showed.

_Don't be silly, _she told herself. _It's not going to show yet._

She was thinking so deeply that she didn't notice as Justin snuck up behind her, giving her a light shove into the water. She glared at him, now soaking wet, and gave an annoyed sigh.

"You are such a child," she said.

He laughed. "It's called joking," he said. "You should know by now that I do that a lot."

"Oh, just help me up," she said, and he offered his hand. She pulled him in after her, giggling. He stayed under for a long time, silently going behind her and gripping her waist. She screamed, but it was a cry of jest as he came up, embracing her from behind. She laughed again, but it was short-lived. She soon noticed that the children were being awfully quiet, and turned to see them.

She gave a sigh of relief, seeing that they were all curled up in the warm sun, fast asleep. She then laid her head back on his shoulder, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

"Justin," she whispered.

"Yes?" he asked.

"How would you feel about a baby?"

"Orion, can you believe it?" Sarah asked excitedly. "After all this time, we're finally going to have a family!"

"I know," said Orion. "I can't wait to be a father."

They were together in their room, lying on the bed with the window open, just relaxing. Sarah was resting her head on Orion's chest, while he had his hands folded back behind his head. The sun was bright, the air was warm, and it was almost hard to believe what had happened just a month ago.

"And to think, Elizabeth is pregnant too," she said.

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. She told me about it a couple of days ago."

"You guys really do share everything, don't you?" he said.

"What do you mean by that?" she questioned, sitting up.

He shrugged. "I just meant that you two are alike in a lot of ways," he said.

"Like what?"

"Well, you both lost your husbands, you both love kids, and now you're both pregnant."

"You forget, she loved her husband, I didn't."

He sat up and put his arm around her.

"You don't have to worry anymore," he said gently. "He's gone. He can never hurt you again."

"I know," she said. "I just wish I were able to get rid of this depression. It's starting to drive me nuts."

He chuckled. "You seem to be doing alright," he said.

She smiled. "I've had you with me, haven't I?"

"True," he said. "But you've done most of it on your own. I think you've just about beat it."

She looked at him, seeing his honest expression, and instantly felt her heart lift. A smile graced her lips, and she reached out and hugged him tightly.

"I think I just did," she whispered, and kissed him.

"What?" he asked stunned.

She giggled. "I'm pregnant," she repeated.

He looked dazed, as if he had just woken up from a dream. "Cynthia had a dream about this," he finally said.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Well, it was a couple of days ago," he started. "You had taken the older children to school, when Cynthia told me about her latest dream."

"Which was what, exactly?" Elizabeth asked.

"She said that you'd had a baby in the dream, and that we forgot about her and the others."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that it would be impossible for us to have children, and that was when you came back."

Elizabeth shook her head, putting her hand on her stomach. After just a few days, it was already starting to show. "I guess I proved you wrong," she said quietly.

Justin lifted her head, wrapping his other arm closely around her. "I can't tell you how happy I am, really," he said.

She lifted her eyes to face him, and smiled sadly. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, I don't want you to have to go through that again."

"Don't worry," he said. His eyes shone with honesty, love, and compassion, even more so when the sun's rays hit them. Shaded amber turned to gold as the sun slowly lowered itself, bringing an end to the warm autumn's day. She suddenly felt tired, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn. He chuckled, and then lay in the grass, gently pulling her down with him. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, just as her eyes closed.

"I love you," he whispered, and kissed her sleeping lips.

Elizabeth yawned and opened her eyes, looking dazedly around the small clearing. She didn't know how long she had been asleep, and hoped that nothing had happened to the children. She was wrapped in the warm circle of Justin's embrace, and he seemed to have fallen asleep as well. She looked over to where the children were, and screamed.

"Justin!" she cried, shaking him. "Wake up!"

"What happened?" he asked, instantly alert.

"It's the children," she replied, nearly in tears. "They're gone!"

"What?" he shouted, and looked over. The spot where the young mice had been was empty, but there was no sign of a struggle. Their packs were gone also, and by the faintness of their scents in the air, they were already long gone.

"Oh no," he murmured. Getting to his feet, he went over to where they had been, and found that the spot was cool, and he also noticed that the sun was getting close to setting. He heard crying, and turned to find Elizabeth on her knees, with tears running down her face. He went to her side and knelt down, putting his arms around her.

"It's alright, Lizzy," he said gently. "We'll find them."

"I know," she sniffled. "I'm just so worried about them."

It was silent then, as her sobs died down, his arms supporting her gently. He sent small, comforting kisses to the top of her head, until something hit him.

"They planned this," he said suddenly.

"What?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"They planned this," he repeated. "That's why they were acting so nervous, and it must have been why they were so quiet," his grip tightened with urgency.

"But…what could they have planned?"

He shrugged, letting her go. "I don't know," he said. "But from the way they were acting, it's serious."

"NIMH." She whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"Justin, don't you see?" she asked. "Ever since I told them about their father, they've asked to see NIMH, and now they must have gone themselves!"

Just then, the roar of helicopter blades filled the sky, and the ground rocked with vibrations. The metal monster flew close to the ground, and they could see that it was no bigger than a toy. At the controls was a small, crème-colored creature, with glowing red eyes and a hideously triumphant expression. It waved, and then turned. In the back were three other faces, looking scared and crying for help.

"Martin, Timothy!" Elizabeth cried. "Teresa!" she ran after them, trying in vain to reach their sobbing faces, until she tripped on a small stone and fell. Her eyes filled with tears, turning the forest floor beneath her into thick, dark mud, the turbulent air filling with her anguished cries as the black phantom vanished over the distant mountains. Justin ran to her side, gripping her shoulders as he struggled to see through the blinding sun. There were four white letters etched into the side of the disappearing craft, and his blood ran cold when he saw them: NIMH.

"Shit," he murmured.

"What?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"That helicopter's from NIMH," he said. "And it looks like that's where it's headed."

"Oh no!" she cried. "Our children!"

She broke out into fresh tears, trying the best she could to quiet them, when she heard the rustle and ripping of fabric. She turned, and gasped in horror. A small cat had come out of the woods, and had started to attack Justin. It was three times as tall as he was, as well as twice as wide. Justin was already cut up, with blood dripping from a cut on his forehead, and she saw that his clothes were ripped and torn up, with bits of yellow cat fur stuck to the blade of his sword.

The cat was also cut up, looking thin and ragged, with clumps of fur missing from various parts of its body. It hissed angrily, ears laid back, baring needle sharp teeth. Her gaze switched to the red glow around her love's neck, would it ever work for him? Then, quite suddenly, it did. A crimson glow quickly came forth from the stone, striking the cat and sending it into a flurry of flames. The air reeked of burning flesh, as gold and red filled the violet sky, the cat's final tortured screams echoing throughout the forest. Justin bolted away as the smoking, skeletal remains toppled into a pile, which instantly turned into dust.

Elizabeth clung to him, shaking violently, trying to calm her now overly-frazzled nerves. He again lifted her face to meet his, and she could see the blood flowing through his fur, dripping to the ground under their feet.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He smiled, bringing her face closer to his. "Of course," he whispered breath warm on her face. His lips touched her fur, passing along her cheek until they reached her mouth, and her arms found their way around his neck, until they were locked in a loving embrace.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go find those kids."

She nodded and, hand in hand, they vanished into the trees.

"Justin," Elizabeth said weakly. "We've been searching all night." She dropped to her knees, panting. "I don't think I can walk anymore."

Justin turned back to her, and smiled. "Well you won't have to," he said, taking her into his arms. He chuckled, nuzzling her cheek, walking ever further into the now dark woods. The trees towered over head, the skyscrapers of nature, and even he felt a little intimidated by what could be hiding in them. Elizabeth draped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, wrapping her cape around herself for protection from the chill.

He'd told her that her tattered cape was fine for spring and summer, but that she would need something more for the fall and winter. The cape she wore now was also red, but it was a shade deep as wine, and was made of a thick, luxuriously soft cloth; it fastened with a small golden clasp and also had a hood. She drew this hood up over her ears. That, combined with his arms around her, seemed to block out every trace of cold, except for a sinking feeling in the bottom of her heart.

_Something big is going to happen, _she thought. She looked up at Justin, who seemed to be straining his eyes to see through the thick darkness, and she felt a small drop hit her face.

She gave a startled cry, wiping her eyes with her hand. It was raining, and every drop was more frigid than the last.

"Justin, we should stop for the night," she said.

"Yeah, I guess we should, huh?" he asked, and began looking around for a good place to stop. He soon spotted a large tree with a hollow trunk, and figured that it was the perfect spot. He walked quickly toward it, thankful that his dark clothes allowed him to blend into the shadows. He set her down near the far wall, atop a large pile of soft green moss. She pushed her sopping hood back from her face, shivering slightly.

He soon had a fire going, finding plenty of dry kindling to get a sweet blaze. Dried blood mixed with rain, making it look as though the fluid still ran from his wounds. Elizabeth took off her cape, and went to sit beside him. He pulled off his own cape and put his arm around her.

"Looks like we're stuck here until the rain stops," she said.

"Yeah, I guess so," he agreed, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "Not that it's such a bad thing."

"Don't get any ideas," she scolded him. "I'm in no condition for it."

He chuckled. "I'm just saying that it's nice to have some alone time."

"I suppose it is," she agreed. "If only our children weren't missing."

"It'll be alright," he said. "We'll continue looking first thing in the morning."

The rain had long since stopped, and now a crystal half moon shone in the sky, a beacon in a dark sea. He smiled; glad to be alone with her on such a beautiful night. Crickets and frogs filled the air with a quiet song, and the wind whispered through the leaves. Neither of them noticed a black, shadowy hand as it slipped around the base of the trunk, and let a small canister fall through its fingers. They stared at it, wondering what it was, when a small hissing sound began to emit from it. A small cloud of a faintly green substance began flowing out, and it had a familiar odor.

It came rapidly, before either of them could move, sending them into a fit of coughing. Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears. Was this to be her last night on earth? She fainted, falling still upon the soaked ground. Justin saw her, through his own blurry vision, and dashed toward her. He didn't get very far before he tripped and fell. Hitting his head, he quickly gave in to the darkness starting to creep in over him, and he soon was out.

The form stood up, no bigger than a child, and slipped out of the bushes. The gas didn't seem to affect her, as her master had made sure it wouldn't. Another came after her, no bigger than a mouse, and he went toward where Elizabeth lay. He plucked a single hair from her head, slipping it into a small container, as his partner knelt down and gently took Justin into her hands.

She pulled a large needle from a pouch at her waist, filled with a silvery-gold fluid. She dug the tip slowly into his side, hoping that the anesthetic had already taken affect. She pushed gradually on the plunger, until the last of the liquid had vanished into his body. She set him down, back inside the tree, and proceeded with Elizabeth.

She was just as careful, if not more so, as she took the tiny mouse into her hands, knowing it would be her last night as such a simple creature, and slowly dug a fresh syringe into her side.

"Subjects have been treated," she whispered when she had finished. A headset had been hanging around her neck, and she now pulled it up to rest over her ears.

"Excellent, agent T," a male voice hissed on the other end. It sounded poor and gravely, as if it hadn't been used in a long time. "Return to base."

"Yes sir," she picked up her pack, and slipped back into the woods.

_I'm sorry, daddy, _she thought. Tears dripped down her cheeks. Maybe being brought back hadn't been such a good thing after all. _I'll join you as soon as I can. _Then she was gone. Her tiny partner stayed back, hidden in the shadows, until the first rays of dawn crept up over the mountains. What they didn't know, however, was that the test subjects had been injected with nearly three times the amount of what they should have been, and that the effects would soar far past their expectations.

Justin awoke with a small moan, shaking his head. A hand went to his chest, and it came back spattered with fresh blood. _What happened last night? _

He got up as slowly as he could, and looked down. The clothes he wore were ripped and stained with blood, yet he had no wounds, and he glanced up to find that strands of smoky-gold hair hung in his face. _What the-? _He reached to the back of his neck, and found that a thick mass seemed to have grown overnight. He stepped outside, and the sun's rays nearly blinded him as he looked toward the stream. His eyes widened, and an awed gasp escaped his lips.

What he saw was an angel, a creature so beautiful he thought her a goddess. A stream of hair fell to her waist, dark as forest shadows, and when she turned; her eyes were bluer than sapphire skies. Her belly was swollen, as though she was pregnant, and he felt himself falling in love all over again.

She was equally entranced at the sight of him. His eyes were still twin pools of shaded amber, still full of soft emotion, and his hair shimmered like sunbeams. She noticed how powerful his muscles looked under his glossy coat, even more so than before, and felt her heart start to race.

In a second he was in front of her, cradling her beautiful face in his strong, gentle hands, his gaze locked with hers. She reached up to hold his shoulder, while his arms slipped around her. Their eyes closed, and they kissed; over and over again, each one more passionate than the last. And, for just a moment, they seemed to forget about their missing children.

"What happened to us?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "But I think it had something to do with that gas last night." It was then that he remembered the threat.

"NIMH," he growled suddenly angry. His voice was also deeper than it had been before, more commanding. "They did this to us."

"What?" she asked.

"It was NIMH, I'm sure of it."

"But, why?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But it seems there's more than we realized."

"How will we rescue the children?"

He shook his head. "We'll have to go to NIMH and get them."

He heard faint sobs coming from behind him, and turned to see a young rat crawl out of the bushes. The child's leg was torn up and bloody, covered in bite and claw marks, and a dark growling emitted from the woods behind him.

"What happened to you?" Justin asked.

"I-I was attacked," the boy told him, sniffling. "By the same thing that just killed my parents."

"Where did this happen?" Elizabeth questioned, cleaning his wound. It was deep, tearing through fur, flesh and muscle, bone completely shattered. She wrapped the wound in white strips of cloth, just as the serpent entered the clearing. But it was no ordinary snake.

It was huge, a black-blue monster, with glowing yellow orbs for eyes. Its fangs glistened, nose covered in blood, forked white tongue quickly lashing in and out. It had four scaly hands, each with three fingers, each topped with a gory, glistening claw. It turned, hissing angrily, and started to slither toward the tiny trio. Justin drew his blade, nearly growling himself. It came closer, and Elizabeth backed away, trying to pull the child to safety. He crawled away as best he could, gaze repeatedly going back, thinking Justin was a goner.

Justin continually swiped at the demon with his sword, but each time the wound would vanish just seconds after contact. The spilled blood was black as night, thick and foul smelling. Trails of steam seemed to drift from the puddles covering the ground, until it was sucked back into the body, the flesh coming back together. Justin gasped in horror. _What the hell is this thing?_

He heard the cry of a child, and looked back to see that the monster was heading straight for Elizabeth and the kid. He hissed in fury, and felt something he never had before. He looked down at his hand, clasped tightly around the hilt of his blade, and saw that it was glowing with a strange silver light. Bolts of energy spurted forth from the glowing orb, and his hand seemed to act on its own.

His sword clattered to the ground as he let go, his hand bringing itself to eye level, the air humming as the energy increased, and he was nearly thrown back when the shot fired. It flew directly for the monster's head, and the beast burst into flames the second the bolts collided. A horrid screech emitted from the demon's mouth as the fire burned, and its echo stained the air even after the body had been reduced to ashes. When the cry had finally faded, Justin bent down and picked up his sword, surprised to find that the hilt had been crushed by his grip.

"Well, that was strange," he said. Steel sang as he sheathed the useless weapon.

"What did you do?" the boy asked, looking excited.

"I don't know," Justin admitted. "But whatever happened, at least it got rid of that thing." They looked to the spot where the creature had been, just as the wind began to blow away the remains. Elizabeth went to his side, but she seemed scared.

"I've never seen you do that before," she said.

"It must have had something to do with that gas last night," he told her. Thinking back, he remembered catching sight of a small, shadowy figure, coming toward him just as he'd blacked out. He kept it to himself, though, as he didn't want to worry her, and turned to the boy.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Richard," the child replied. He tried to stand, but collapsed with a cry.

"Whoa, take it easy," Justin said gently. "I'm afraid it's going to be a few months before you can walk again."

"Months!" Richard shouted. "I'll never survive out here!"

Justin knelt down beside him, smiling. "You won't have to," he said.

"I don't?" Richard asked.

"Of course you don't," Elizabeth smiled. "We'll take care of you."

"Really?" he looked down at ground. "But I wouldn't want to be a burden."

In response, Justin took the child into his arms, cradling him like an infant. It seemed like they really did want to help him, and they had just saved his life. Thinking about it made him realize just how tired he was, and he soon fell asleep. Justin switched his gaze to Elizabeth. He could see the sadness in her eyes, but there was also a small glimmer of joy, and he instantly knew why.

_I wonder how long it'll be, _he thought, just as they returned.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five: "Discovered"

Their new appearances caused quite a stir among the others, and they instantly began asking questions. "What happened to you?" "Who's the kid?" "Where did you go?" It soon became just an unintelligible babble of voices as they dropped Richard off at the infirmary. It would take at least a day just to get him fixed up. The only two who didn't ask questions were Orion and Sarah, knowing that they would be filled in later.

It wasn't until nightfall that they finally got away, making their way down to the apartment where Orion and Sarah lived. Elizabeth knocked quietly on the door, and it was soon opened by the head school teacher.

"Justin, Elizabeth," she said. "Come on in."

They did, and Sarah gestured for them to have a seat.

"I'll be right back," she said. She went to a closed door, tapping on it. "Come out of there," she said. "They're here."

It opened a moment later, and there stood a tall walking shadow. He smiled, then ran a hand through his hair. Orion sat down in a chair opposite the couch, rubbing the stump that was once his right ear. It had been severed the month before, during the battle against Jenner. Seeing him caused Justin to shiver, remembering just how close he'd come to death.

Like the guard captain, Justin was dressed in a sleeveless vest, except dark grey, with his black cape draped over his shoulders. Elizabeth sat with her hands in her lap, feeling a little uncomfortable in the blue dress she wore. It was completely silent until Orion cleared his throat.

"So, exactly what happened to you?" he asked. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands folded under his chin.

"It was NIMH," Justin spoke up.

"NIMH?" Sarah spoke up. "How can that be?"

Orion straightened, crossing his arms over his chest. "Humph, obviously they have someone else now."

"Yes, but who?" asked Elizabeth.

"Who knows," said Orion. "But it's apparent that they aren't on our side."

"I don't know," said Sarah. "Maybe they are our allies."

They stared at her like she had three heads.

"Are you crazy?" asked Justin. "They're the ones imprisoned us, tried more than once to annihilate us. Why in the world would they be helping us now?"

Sarah lowered her eyes, realizing that it did sound foolish. "I guess you're right," she said. "But what other explanation could there be?"

"Well, it's obvious they have more experiments planned," said Elizabeth. "But why pick us?"

Orion stared at her, as if he had just noticed her new appearance. "Because you are, were, a feral mouse, and they felt that they had something to gain by testing you."

"Well, that makes sense for me," she said. "But what about Justin?"

"What do you mean?" asked Sarah. She had taken a seat in the chair next to Orion's, and was constantly rubbing her stomach.

"She means that they've already experimented on me," Justin explained. "So why do it again?"

Orion's eyes widened briefly, as if something just became clear. "Because they wanted to see how their new formula interacted with the old." It made perfect sense. It was strangely silent afterwards, until Elizabeth found a glitch in the story.

"What does all this have to do with our children?"

"What?" said Sarah.

"First, NIMH captured our children, then they experimented on us. What could the connection be?"

"They could have something else in store, but what?"

Orion shrugged. "Who knows?" he said.

The silence after was shattered by a frantic cry. There was a fierce pounding on the door, and Trevor was in almost before it was fully open. He was panting hard, his hair more wild than ever. Justin instantly knew that something was wrong, and knelt down before the boy.

"Trevor, what is it?" he asked.

Trevor did his best to reply, though it was still broken by his rapid breath. "It's…Cynthia!" he shouted. "She's hurt!"

They stared at him, completely stunned.

Trevor went calmly through the crowded halls. Like Justin, he had a charm and charisma that everyone loved, though he was a bit more mischievous than the former captain. His hair was pulled back that day, his vest brown and sleeveless, a sword strapped tightly around his hips. It had been his father's, who'd been the guard captain before Justin, and had also recently switched jobs.

The hall was beginning to empty, the noise level quickly decreasing. Trevor was headed outside, to practice a bit before the sun was completely gone. He stopped though, when he heard the quiet cry. He looked around, but could see no one. Just before he took another step, the sound came again, and this time it was easy to tell where it had come from; Justin's apartment.

Picking locks wasn't normal guard training, but Trevor himself was an expert. It took him only a second to bring it open; and he found himself looking upon an empty room.

_I know I heard someone, _he thought. He was about to leave when he heard it once more; like a muffled cry for help. He took one step, but instantly drew back. _Something's not right here, _he told himself. _But I need to see what's going on. _His hand rested near the weapon's sheath, just in case. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once, although its source seemed to be the last room. This door was unlocked, so he pulled it open and flicked on the light.

The moaning was loudest in a corner, covered by a single sheet. The cloth was moving, and a small tail was peeking out from the bottom. Trevor moved quickly, his training finally taking over. He pushed aside the pale fabric, eyes widening when he saw what it hid.

"Cynthia!" he cried. The young mouse was bound and gagged, hair and fur a total mess, covered in fresh wounds. She fell forward into his arms, struggling weakly to get free. He pulled the fabric from her face, which was thin and pale. He held her tightly, snapping the ropes, gazing into her chocolate eyes. "What happened to you?" he asked, barely able to hide his fury.

She fought to lift a scrawny hand, weakly gripping his vest. She coughed.

"It was NIMH," she whispered faintly, then lay completely still. Her hand fell, and he caught it in his own. He could feel almost every bone in her body, and wondered just how long she'd been back there. Her chest rose, but just slightly. She was barely alive.

Trevor's heart was pounding, thoughts racing, but he knew what he had to do. First though, he decided that now was the time to give her what he had always wanted to. He leaned closer, until his lips touched hers. Trevor knew how young she was, but that didn't matter to him. The only thing he cared about was that she lived. "I'll get you out of this, Cynthia," he whispered. "I promise."

He went as quickly as he could to the medical ward, but he didn't leave until he knew she would be alright. He didn't try to kiss her again, knowing that he needed to get her parents. Glancing back only once, he vanished into the hall. Going full speed through the community, everyone he passed instantly knew that something was amiss, and none stopped him.

And now here he was again, explaining to them what had happened. Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears, and Justin put an arm around her. His free hand twitched at his side, as if he itched to kill. How dare the humans try something like this! With the explosion of the first helicopter back at the farm, they'd thought that they were finally free of NIMH, but apparently the scientists weren't going to give up so easily.

_You forget, _Justin thought angrily. _Neither will your experiments. _He barely swallowed the sudden urge he felt within, making him feel as though he knew nothing but hatred; nothing but hatred and a lust for revenge.

"How did you find her, Trevor?" he asked, tone icier than he'd intended.

"I heard her," said Trevor. "She was tied up behind a curtain in the corner of the room."

"How did you know that something wrong?" said Orion.

The boy was shame-faced as he explained what had happened a few days before, when the children had first been kidnapped. "I knew it wasn't her," he said at last. "Because she smelled like metal, and the fact that that blade came out of her wrist."

"They've been watching us the entire time," said Elizabeth, and buried her face in her hands.

"Where are we?" Timothy gazed sleepily around the dimly-lit room, having just woken up from a drugged sleep. Teresa and Martin still slumbered beside him, and he felt his heart race when he caught the four red letters above the locked door: N.I.M.H. "Oh no," he cried. "We've been captured!"

"That's right," said an icy voice. "And this time there will be no escape."

He turned to see the silver droid, its eyes glittering darkly. Its teeth were bared in an evil grin, reveling in its black triumph. "You tricked us!" he shouted angrily, jarring his siblings awake. They all shared a frightened look, then Martin mustered up his courage.

"Why have you brought us here?" he asked, careful to stay near the middle of the cage.

"The master wished it," it replied, still grinning.  
>"Who are you talking about?" questioned Martin. Just then, a dark form slipped in the room, blocking out the low light of the moon. "Sir, I have the Brisby children, now we need only to wait."<br>"Excellent," the man hissed, then turned to the cage. "But I see that you've only gotten three of them."  
>"The youngest is no longer an issue," said the drone. "I made sure that she wouldn't be found until it was too late."<br>The Brisbys gasped in horror, was their sister really gone? It was then they remembered their parents, how they had been deceived once again by the humans. "You won't get away with this!" shouted Teresa, but it only caused the droid's grin to grow.  
>"On the contrary, my dear," it hissed. "There is now no way for us to fail." The remnants of its horrid laugh echoed in their ears for hours.<p>

Elizabeth sat sobbing by the window, wondering why Shultz continued to torture them. How could he? The man had died weeks ago, the explosion caused by his own creations. Her swollen belly now only added to her grief, as she remembered that her children were trapped within NIMH's bloody hands. Justin had vanished hours before, but no one knew why. Lifting her head, the young mouse gazed at her reflection in the hazy glass.  
>Long, flowing brown hair, kingfisher blue eyes, the redness and bags surrounding the colored orbs from the exhausted fear that filled her heart. She had no idea what they were about to face, only that it would be yet another duel to the death; but her worry was how would win: the Rats of NIMH, or the monster who created them? Tendrils of hair brushed past her face, pushed into motion by the breeze from the open window. The sound of a door caught her attention, and she looked back to see him.<br>His eyes held fear, but his posture spoke only of confidence. The wind blew gently through his black cape, also setting his hair in motion. "You're worried," he said quietly, coming to sit beside her. His hands wrapped tightly around her, feeling the life that he had helped to create. He only hoped that the birth would wait until their home was safe. "So am I."  
>"I'm not just worried," she told him. "I'm terrified. I don't even know whether the children will survive," she broke into tears, burying her face in his chest. He gently kissed the top of her head.<br>"I'll find them," he vowed, anger in his voice. "And I'll make sure that you're never in danger again."  
>She smiled, but it quickly turned into a mask of pain. He noticed that the cushion beneath her was dark, as though soaked with water. Knowing what had happened before, he wasted no time in taking her to Ash.<br>The birth was agonizingly slow, pain screamed through her delicate body. Justin watched as the infant emerged, a small ache in his heart. Cynthia was still bedridden, still as stone; would this experience rob him of yet another child? The ache lessened as he smiled, seeing that each of the triplets had survived.  
>The oldest was pure white, with blue eyes as wide as her mother's. Inscribed faintly in silver around her eyes was the mark of wings; they named her Angel. Her sister was darker, having inherited her father's eyes. Her fur was a soft brown with gold and copper undertones. There was the mark of a cross on her left shoulder. She was christened Grace. The youngest was also a girl, every bit as unique as her sisters. Strangely, her eyes were a pale, but vivid green. Her fur was grey, nearly silver, with a small heart engraved on her cheek; her name was Hope.<br>Just a moment after the miracle, Sarah gave birth to a baby boy, the shade of his father aside from a white patch surrounding his left eye. They named him Max, after the one who sacrificed himself for the good of his people. It was at this moment that young Cynthia awoke from her coma; but what joy there was, it was destined to be short-lived.  
>A dark shadow filtered in through the window, quickly seeing that Elizabeth wasn't in bed. Remembering what it had witnessed that day, it slipped past the door and quickly came upon the infirmary. The mouse was resting fitfully there, beside what appeared to be three newborns. Taking out a cloth and a small glass vile, he quickly descended upon her slumbering form. What it didn't see, however, was that both Sarah and Cynthia were wide-awake.<br>Sarah gasped in shock, and the figure turned to her. He repeated what he'd done before, holding the cloth close to her face. The smell of the gas lulled her back into sleep, but not before she had seen him slip into the night, with Elizabeth clasped in his arms. Cynthia, however, remained conscious, having hidden beneath her blanket to prevent being seen. She watched as the shadow finished his work and disappeared, knowing that there was something very familiar about the way it moved, and how it smelled.


	7. Chapter 7

"Chapter six: The Fatal Mistake"

Justin awoke from a light sleep, gazing about the chamber as sunlight began to fill the valley. He had spent the previous night wondering why NIMH hadn't attacked, and was starting to think that the humans wanted the fight to be brought to them. He'd fallen asleep at his desk close to midnight. Dressing was a simple matter, but it took a few minutes to get a comb through his hair. After gazing outside a moment, he returned to the infirmary.  
>The halls outside were also alight, but in more ways than one. A group of rats stood outside the chambers double doors, gazing in on a mostly empty room. Sarah was lying asleep in her bed, her son in the cradle beside her, but Cynthia and the triplets were wide awake.<br>The infants gazed quizzically at the people around them, and Cynthia was standing, trying to speak. The crowd parted when Justin entered, and the child quickly broke into tears. She was scared, but it seemed to be more than just the threat from NIMH. Justin took her into his arms, the salty drops soaking his fur.  
>"Mommy's gone!" she cried before he could ask.<br>"What?" he looked over to her bed, only to find that it was indeed empty. "What happened?" he asked.  
>The child sobbed a moment, but then instantly calmed, wiping at a gaze that was suddenly icy. "A shadow came last night," she said. "It put Sarah to sleep then grabbed Mommy. I hid under my blankie so it didn't see me. He carried her out the window." She pointed toward the shattered pane. The floor around it was coated in glass, fur, and blood. There was also the strip of cloth from Elizabeth's cape. Justin went over, kneeling down and taking it into his hand. The tips of his claws softly scraped against the tile floor. One of the scents surrounding the area was indeed that of his love, but there was also one whose form had ceased to live years before.<br>"Tammy," he whispered. "Oh no," the words wouldn't come. His first little girl had died at birth, but now Shultz had her beneath his control. The man had crossed the line a long time ago, but now he had thrown himself into the fire. The rage in his heart finally exploded, and he nearly snapped. He rose slowly, blood dripping from his fist. "This has gone on long enough," he began. "For years he's tortured us, but now I'm going to bring the fight straight to him. I swear that this will be his final mistake." He turned, heading for the hall. Cynthia rose to follow him, but Orion held her back.  
>"I wouldn't," he told her. "Justin is unpredictable when he's upset, and he's not always aware of what he's doing."<br>Cynthia gazed back, but their leader had already vanished.

Elizabeth awoke to the sound of sobbing, and opened her eyes expecting to see the triplets. She was shocked to find herself alone in a cage, and that the sobbing came from the one beside her. "Children!"  
>Martin, Teresa, and Timothy turned, each of them shouting in excitement. "Mama!"<br>She gazed around at her unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we?"  
>"You're in NIMH," Martin told her. "Where we've been trapped for days."<br>"What have they done to you?"  
>"Not a thing," said Teresa.<br>"They're just using us as bait," said Tim coldly. "They know that Justin will come here to get us, and they plan to use that against him."  
>"What will they do to him?" Elizabeth's eyes had filled with tears.<br>"Don't worry," said a young voice. It was unfamiliar. "They plan to kill him, then find and destroy your valley."  
>Elizabeth found herself glaring at a young human girl, no more than eight years old. "You must be Justin's daughter," she said, though not sure how she knew.<br>"What do you mean 'don't worry'?" Tim growled. In reply the girl held up a key.  
>"Because he won't succeed, that's why." She quickly went about unlocking the cages, taking the mice into her hands. "My name is Tammy, and yes, I am Justin's daughter. Shultz found my body and somehow brought me back to life as a human."<br>"What do you plan on doing?" asked Teresa. Tammy placed them in the cage with their mother.  
>"I'm afraid I can't let you go now, but I can make it easier not to be scared. I was the one who took you last night, Elizabeth," she continued. "But I left that strip of your cape so dad would know it was me. I'm also the one who found you in the woods and gave you those injections."<br>"Are you the ones who kidnapped us?" questioned Martin. Tammy shook her head.  
>"No, that was Agent C, the one who also posed as your sister."<br>"How did you know where to find us?"  
>"Shultz sent multiple drones with you into the valley, and most of them became Jenner's allies."<br>"How do you know all of this?" asked Timothy.  
>"Do you remember a girl named Isabella?" they nodded. "That was me the whole time. I pretended to have a crush on Justin so no one would find out that I was really his daughter."<br>The sound of footsteps caught their attention. "I have to go," she whispered, heading for the door. "But don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, she exited into the hall, gazing down at a small form on the floor. "I can't believe he brought you back," she hissed. "You betrayer." She turned on her heel and strode away. The form behind the mouse smiled, his grin the only thing visible from the shadows.  
>"It's only a matter of precious time."<p>

"You're crazy!" shouted Orion. "You can't go alone!"  
>"I can and I'm going to," Justin replied, climbing onto Jeremy's back. They had managed to signal the crow as he flew over the valley. He had objected to flying to NIMH at first, but quickly changed his mind when he learned that the Brisbys were in danger. "I need someone I can trust if I don't came back."<br>"I still think you're crazy," Orion told him. "NIMH is swarming with humans, and who knows what else!"  
>The Stone flashed around Justin's neck. "We've beat him before," he said coldly. "And now we're just wasting time." He signaled to Jeremy to take off, leaving a startled crowd of rats behind. They had never seen him this way before, but knew that, whatever else he was now, that Justin was a rat of his word. Orion gazed at the sky until the bird was no longer visible, then slowly turned to head back inside. No one had ever seen him this way before, even those who had witnessed him kill Jenner. The others stood close together, whispering to one another about what they thought the outcome would be. As quickly as news travelled in the small community, there were those who still didn't know of Justin's feelings for Alice, even after she'd given birth to his children.<br>Lord help us, he thought. Justin would survive, he had to, because he had no idea just how long the others could survive without him. Orion was inexplicably drawn toward the infirmary, and not just because it was where his son and fiancée slept. The shattered glass raised many questions, as though the ones who had taken Elizabeth wanted to be found. The scent was one he didn't recognize, but for some reason it reminded him of when Justin had told him of his first wife and daughter, how they had died on a stormy night within minutes of each other.  
>No wonder he fell in love with her so quickly. Both he and Elizabeth knew what it was like to lose a spouse and, to some extent, she knew what it was like to lose a child, as she had come close to losing her own. In a few minutes he found himself once more believing the words of his leader. Justin had that effect on people; one minute they doubted him, then the next they found themselves eating their words.<br>I better not tell Sarah about this, he thought. She had just beaten her depression, and he was afraid that this change of events would only bring it back.

Justin watched in fury as NIMH grew closer. The building looked just as he remembered; a squat cube that was more glass than anything else. The RV sat motionless in the parking lot, but besides that the space was empty. Valentine had shut the operation down entirely, but he had passed the blame to his boss. The bodies of Mr. Fitzgibbon and his family had been found soon after the fire that claimed Shultz's life. They had been buried in a shallow grave deep in the woods, each of them covered in bullet wounds. The NIMH team had been charged with multiple accounts homicide, forgery, and trespassing and Justin knew that they would all be in jail for some time to come.  
>Good riddance, he thought bitterly. The less there was of them the better. Jeremy landed close to a vent, which had rusted off long ago. It was the same spot where Justin and the other originals had made their initial escape.<br>"Wait for me here," he said quietly. "If I'm not back before dark, go back to the valley and tell them the rescue was lost."  
>The bird nodded gravely, dark eyes glazed with fear as he watched the rat slip past the rusted grate. It had been years since the escape, but the way to the labs was still engraved in his memory. He had even stopped by the wall and picked up the thread he had used to guide his way before. The vent no longer vibrated, as the air flow had been cut off weeks before. He quickly found his way through the metal maze, and he was able to shove the inner vent out of the way. It landed with a dusty clatter.<br>The lab beyond was filthy, empty save for a table on which rested two empty cages. The rest of the floor was covered in scattered papers and dust, looking as though it had been abandoned for years instead of just a few weeks. Still, he could catch small traces of Elizabeth's scent, along with Teresa's, Martin's, and Timothy's. He quickly noticed that his eyes were even sharper than before, as he was able to clearly see even the smallest speck of debris.  
>The place was silent; save for some scratching and voices that seemed to come from a room down the hall. Knowing what awaited him, he drew his sword, which had been sharpened to perfection just hours before. It was faintly lit by gas lamps and candles, and the smell of burnt gas and wax nearly made him sick. There was also the stronger smell of carnage, but he dared not guess at its cause. The screaming grew louder, and he was able to recognize individual voices. He couldn't tell what caused the scratching.<br>What could he be doing to them? Tightening his grip on the blade, he gazed through the crack of an open door. Inside stood a man facing a window, the hair white and thinning, the pale flesh covered in scars; in fact, the very scars that formed from burns. In a moment the sky cleared, and Justin could see the man's face; the long, hooked nose, bushy white brows, the piercing grey eyes that haunted him to this day; Shultz. The doctor was smiling, revealing teeth that were rotten and yellow, as though he had just come back from the dead. Resting on the table was a rodent-sized chair, and strapped to it was a form that he had come to know well.  
>"Lizzy," he whispered, but found that he could no longer move. He gazed on in horror as Elizabeth suffered from electric shock, only it seemed to be magnified greatly. The children were nowhere to be seen.<p>

The electricity finally stopped. Elizabeth sat panting from trying to hold back her screams. Her children were nowhere to be found, and now Shultz was trying to torture Thorn Valley's location out of her. He had the mouse trapped, bound to a small chair that blasted her with electricity at the touch of a switch. She'd only seen the human once before, and even then it had only been a quick glance, but she would never forget his face. The pale flesh was twisted and scarred, his rotten teeth always bared in an insane grin; and when he spoke, his breath smelled of the grave. He had no idea what had brought him back, only that he had woken up outside of his coffin late one night.  
>"Tell me where it is!" he shouted, voice cracking. He turned the power up, but she still refused to scream.<br>"You'll never get anything out of me," she shouted.  
>Her words put a strange gleam in his eye, as though this is exactly what he'd expected. "Oh, I have other ways of making you talk," he hissed, then went over to a covered cage. Pulling the sheet away, he revealed the remains of her children, half-eaten, drenched in blood. Her eyes widened in shock, and she broke into horrified tears.<br>"What have you done to them?" she wailed.  
>"I allowed my creature freedom," he replied. "To please his thirst for life."<br>A small shadow stepped from the gloom, an evil smirk on his face. His fur was grey, with darker spots on his shoulder and hip, his brown eyes cold, devoid of any feeling save hatred.  
>"Jonathan!" she cried, and her tears only increased. At once she felt filthy, but he never noticed her shame.<br>"You betrayed me," he growled. "All I did was try to protect you, and yet you still forgot me." Before she could reply, a small streak of silver crossed her vision, becoming embedded in his chest. He looked down, confused, but then fell into a heap of metal and dust. Seeing this, her tears quickly dried.  
>"You dirty liar!" she screamed. "How dare you!" she fought to break away, only to have another blast of energy. Her cry this time was piercing, but it was cut short in a fury of sparks.<br>"You should have stayed in hell where you belong," Justin flew up beside her, his face a cold mask. The moon had finally cleared the clouds outside, his blade gleaming in its light. He landed in front of her, feeling her claws pierce his shoulder. He barely glanced back. Shultz stared at him in shock, then burst into hideous laughter.  
>"What could you possibly do to me?" he asked, lifting the rat by his tail. Justin raked his claws across the man's face, growling wildly. The doctor let go, holding the hand to his bleeding face; it was the first time they noticed that he only had one hand. The other appeared to have been sawed off, as the skin and muscle shown in ragged layers, with a white pole of bone protruding from the center; yet no blood dripped from the wound. His fingers curled in fury, and he brought his fist down on the table. The blow was clumsy, easily dodged. Elizabeth watched in fear, heart racing. Just how long would this last?<br>Shultz swiped his arm across the table, sending Justin flying into the wall. He landed with a dull thud, slipping motionless to the filthy floor below. He got up slowly, panting, tightly gripping his side. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. The doctor pulled out a strange machine, one that glowed with a bright bluish light. An insane grin plastered on his face, he aimed it at his tiny victim. It was just about to fire before…  
>"No!" Tammy dove in front of him, the beam hitting her square in the chest. Her body crumbled to the ground, but not before she sliced off his other hand. He laughed as though nothing had happened.<br>"Foolish girl," he cackled. "You cut your life short because of an animal, an abomination of nature!"  
>"You forget," she said faintly, dark eyes closing. "He's al…" a final cough, then nothing. Justin rose to one knee, seeing a slim silver band on her wrist. On it was a small charm shaped like a heart, the name 'Selina' written inside. My wife's necklace. His eyes filled with bitter tears as realization crashed upon him, as this was the second time he'd had to watch his child die. He looked up, and his heart nearly stopped.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

"Epilogue: Silver Blast"

Elizabeth cowered in fear, seeing the remains of the weapon clasped in Shultz's ruined grip, a strange substance coating the tip. His pale grey eyes were impossibly lit, his rotten grin splitting his face. He came slowly, limping slightly, raising the blade over his head. Elizabeth covered her face with her hands, tears streaming from her tightly closed eyes.  
>"Leave her out of this," Justin fought to stand, panting heavily. "Your fight's with me."<br>Again, Shultz only laughed, but he would never get the chance to repent.  
>Justin lifted a hand, a bolt of silver light hitting him square in the chest; but, instead of once more burning to death, the light grew until it completely surrounded him. Justin had to shield his eyes from the brilliance. When it cleared, his jaw dropped in shock. Where there had been a towering creature was now a human being no bigger than himself.<br>"Well," he hissed. "I'd say that this evens things out considerably." In a flash, he held his former capture in a tight choke-hold. Slipping a hand past the doctor's coat, he withdrew the gun that Shultz always had with him. He'd never used one before, but he knew how to, thanks to various books and television reports from the Boniface estate and later the Rosebush. Shultz stared up at him, shocked at how well the injections had worked.  
>"It's you!" he cried. "You're number nine from the Beta group!"<br>"I'm surprised you still remember me," Justin replied coldly. "Now," he added, holding the thing to the human's head. "Unless you want to die by the hands of your own creation, I suggest that you tell me what I want to know. Where is my family?"  
>The fear seemed to vanish instantly from the man's eyes. A flash of silver jumped across the rat's eyes, but he had no time to react before a knife sunk into his chest. To his surprise, he felt absolutely nothing; nothing but a vile hatred and an uncontrollable fury.<br>Justin dropped him, slowly pulling the blade from his flesh, a gold light filling the wound as he did so. His eyes glowed with a rage that nearly caused the man to scream in fear. As it had with Alpha group, this first attempt had gone too far.  
>"I'm going to give you one last chance," Justin growled slowly, knife and gun still in hand. It would be more satisfying to tear the human to shreds himself, but he just didn't have that kind of time. The only question left was which to use, and what he would do with the remains.<br>"You bastards would all be dead now if it weren't for me!" Shultz shouted. "I made you what you are today, you should all worship me!"  
>A hard laugh passed Justin's lips. "I've already killed one tyrant," he said. The black form of the gun rose to fire. "Now I'm just ridding the world of another."<br>The sound was impossibly loud, and blood spattered onto his face from the impact of the bullet. The top half of Shultz's head had been blown clean off, scattering blood and the final remnants of spoiled brain tissue. He had killed before, but never had it been so satisfying. In a few moments the man returned to his normal size, and the wound only followed; but by then, Justin was already gone.

"Mm, where are we?" Teresa couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Neither could her brothers.  
>"I don't know," Martin tried to stand, but ended up hitting his head. "But wherever we are, it's not very big."<br>Timothy rubbed his eyes, seeing a small patch of light in the wall. "Hey, what's that?" he drew closer, but only got about half-way before a bright flash was seen. A strange sound accompanied it, and in a few moments a human lay dead on the floor. "Hey, it's the doctor!" he cried. His siblings crowded in close to see.  
>"You're right," said Martin. "But what happened to him?" his question went unanswered, as Justin came into view. He knelt down in front of their mother, wiping her tears. "I bet she thinks we're dead."<br>Tim should his head, slumping back to the floor. "I guess we wait," he said quietly. "And hope that they find us."  
>"How long do you think that'll take?" asked Teresa. A small laugh was heard, and the walls around them vanished. They looked up, seeing the red glow of the stone. But instead of their mother, Justin stood behind it. His fur was soaked in spots of blood, his clothing spattered and torn; in his hand was a strange black object. They dared not ask what it was. Looking behind him, they saw the dead body of Dr. Shultz, his eyes wide and blank.<br>"Let's get you guys home," he said, smiling. He slipped the gun into his vest, taking their mother's hand. "Jeremy's waiting outside." He brought them to the vent, informing the children of their new baby sisters. They were in the valley the moment the sun set.


End file.
